NCAA Final Four Report: Kentucky and Kansas To Play For 2012 NCAA Title

Overall top-seed Kentucky and Midwest Region champ Kansas each won national semifinal games in the Final Four in New Orleans on Saturday to advance to the NCAA title game on Monday night. Here’s a recap of Saturday’s games:

Kentucky 69 — Louisville 61

Superstar freshman Anthony Davis had 18 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks, and Kentucky beat Louisville 69-61 at the Final Four in New Orleans on Saturday. With the victory, the Wildcats (37-2) advanced to Monday’s NCAA title game to face Kansas. Kentucky is in search of its first national championship since 1998.

Rallying from a 13-point deficit, Louisville (30-10) tied the game at 49 on a 3-pointer by Peyton Siva with 9:11 left. Kentucky senior Darius Miller, who had 13 points on the game, made a key 3-point shot minutes later to extend the Kentucky lead to 58-51. Louisville was unable to complete the comeback despite making another late run.

Peyton Siva’s 11 points led the Cardinals, while teammate Chane Behanan added 10. Louisville center Gorgui Dieng had 12 rebounds and seven points, but he could not fully contain Davis on the defensive end. Doron Lamb added 10 points for the Wildcats.

Kansas 64 — Ohio State 62

Thomas Robinson had 19 points to lead Kansas back from a 13-point deficit, as the Jayhawks beat Ohio State 64-62 at the Final Four in New Orleans on Saturday. The comeback win allowed Kansas (32-6) to advance to Monday’s NCAA title game to face Kentucky. The Jayhawks hope to win their first national championship since 2008.

Ohio State (31-8) led by nine at halftime, but Kansas changed the pace of the game in the second half behind a supreme defensive effort by center Jeff Withey, who had eight rebounds and seven blocks to go with four points. Kansas took a 62-59 lead when guard Elijah Johnson made a layup with 1:12 to play. The Jayhawks’ Tyshawn Taylor hit two free throws late to clinch the victory.

William Buford led the Buckeyes with 19 points, while teammate Jared Sullinger had 13 points and 11 rebounds. Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft keyed his team’s first half charge, but finished with just 11 points. Johnson finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for Kansas, while teammate Travis Releford scored 15 points.